diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 53cb0216899fc56d433bad65e0e6c358928419fe..b2fae31429859ec917a64abe17e0b1d3cb2e76e1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -67,3 +67,5 @@ ui_*
 *.so*
 *.moc
 *.prl
+git_version.cpp
+git_version.obj
diff --git a/QGCApplication.pro b/QGCApplication.pro
index 5bbb95756f70cb28a60eda3deb5790115400fea3..5763ca6e7feb5d660e39ee60cc7a53bc0deabfec 100644
--- a/QGCApplication.pro
+++ b/QGCApplication.pro
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@
 # -------------------------------------------------
 
 include(QGCCommon.pri)
+include(git_version.pri)
 
 TARGET = qgroundcontrol
-TEMPLATE =  app
+TEMPLATE = app
 
 # Load additional config flags from user_config.pri
 exists(user_config.pri):infile(user_config.pri, CONFIG) {
diff --git a/git_version.pri b/git_version.pri
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..229fcbe474714d70810f04bba85a132342d4e873
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git_version.pri
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# set the QGC version from git
+
+exists ($$PWD/.git) {
+  GIT_DESCRIBE = $$system(git --git-dir $$PWD/.git --work-tree $$PWD describe --always --tags)
+  WindowsBuild {
+    QGC_GIT_VER = echo extern \"C\" { const char *git_version() { return \"$$GIT_DESCRIBE\"; } } > git_version.cpp
+    LIBS += git_version.obj
+  } else {
+    QGC_GIT_VER = echo \"extern \\\"C\\\" { const char *git_version() { return \\\"$$GIT_DESCRIBE\\\"; } }\" > git_version.cpp
+    LIBS += git_version.o
+  }
+}
+
+WindowsBuild {
+  LIBS += git_version.obj
+} else {
+  LIBS += git_version.o
+}
+
+CONFIG(debug) {
+  GIT_VERSION_CXXFLAGS = $$QMAKE_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG
+} else {
+  GIT_VERSION_CXXFLAGS = $$QMAKE_CXXFLAGS_RELEASE
+}
+
+QMAKE_PRE_LINK += $$QGC_GIT_VER && $$QMAKE_CXX -c $$GIT_VERSION_CXXFLAGS git_version.cpp
diff --git a/qgroundcontrol.pro b/qgroundcontrol.pro
index 6928aadf96b2ef13c0e8365a3b6c38315f2aa07e..d577d25b70df10639ca792d8a975989a8f59ecfa 100644
--- a/qgroundcontrol.pro
+++ b/qgroundcontrol.pro
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ CONFIG  +=  ordered
 SUBDIRS  =  ./QGCLocationPlugin.pro
 SUBDIRS +=  ./QGCApplication.pro
 
+include(git_version.pri)
+
 QGCApplication.depends = QGCLocationPlugin
 
 message(Qt version $$[QT_VERSION])
@@ -30,3 +32,6 @@ message(Qt version $$[QT_VERSION])
     error("Unsupported Qt version, 5.4+ is required")
 }
 
+message(QGroundControl version $${GIT_DESCRIBE})
+git_ver.commands = $$QGC_GIT_VER
+QMAKE_EXTRA_TARGETS += git_ver
diff --git a/src/QGCApplication.cc b/src/QGCApplication.cc
index 9b5fa09712e57d57d67186a0aeeb48186c314545..f895b13a628f9b1b41f99b9e87eba2526082a2ad 100644
--- a/src/QGCApplication.cc
+++ b/src/QGCApplication.cc
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ GST_PLUGIN_STATIC_DECLARE(QTVIDEOSINK_NAME);
 G_END_DECLS
 #endif
 
+#include "git_version.h"
 #include "configuration.h"
 #include "QGC.h"
 #include "QGCApplication.h"
@@ -251,10 +252,12 @@ QGCApplication::QGCApplication(int &argc, char* argv[], bool unitTesting)
     setOrganizationName(QGC_ORG_NAME);
     setOrganizationDomain(QGC_ORG_DOMAIN);
 
-    // Version string is build from component parts. Format is:
-    //  vMajor.Minor.BuildNumber BuildType
-    QString versionString("v%1.%2.%3 %4");
-    versionString = versionString.arg(QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_MAJOR).arg(QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_MINOR).arg(QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDNUMBER).arg(QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDTYPE);
+    QString versionString(git_version());
+    // stable versions are on tags (v1.2.3)
+    // development versions are full git describe versions (v1.2.3-18-g879e8b3)
+    if (versionString.length() > 8) {
+        versionString.append(" (Development)");
+    }
     this->setApplicationVersion(versionString);
 
     // Set settings format
diff --git a/src/QGCConfig.h b/src/QGCConfig.h
index 9772e411b44324a0bfb4aceb7a5068dd43cfb33e..517ec21126c2c6f9e5718fe131189666e4320a7e 100644
--- a/src/QGCConfig.h
+++ b/src/QGCConfig.h
@@ -18,21 +18,4 @@
 #define QGC_ORG_NAME "QGroundControl.org"
 #define QGC_ORG_DOMAIN "org.qgroundcontrol"
 
-#define QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_MAJOR 2
-#define QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_MINOR 7
-
-// The following #definess can be overriden from the command line so that automated build systems can
-// add additional build identification.
-
-// Only comes from command line
-//#define QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_COMMIT "..."
-
-#ifndef QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDNUMBER
-#define QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDNUMBER 1
-#endif
-
-#ifndef QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDTYPE
-#define QGC_APPLICATION_VERSION_BUILDTYPE "(Stable)"
-#endif
-
 #endif // QGC_CONFIGURATION_H
diff --git a/src/git_version.h b/src/git_version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..84dd2fbb58a93145c2ea4272cef578ca63e869df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/git_version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+extern "C" {
+	const char *git_version();
+}